2011 local election roundup (update: NMB runoff results)

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Update 11/16: The results for the North Myrtle Beach City Council runoff elections are in. 

Incumbents took a beating, hop on over to CarolinaLive for the results


Update 11/5: The Sun News reports that Atlantic Beach will have a new election. Apparently, they are starting over with the campaigning too since the election commission opted for the reboot to happen in 180 days. The details are here.

In less exciting news, the Myrtle Beach election commission didn't think there was enough evidence from the protesting candidates to take any further actions. Mark Kruea from the City of Myrtle Beach issued the following statement:

After hearing testimony this morning in response to a protest filed by candidate Ann Coghlan, the Myrtle Beach Election Commission upheld the results of Tuesday’s City Council election. The commissioners noted that no evidence was presented that any voter was unable to vote or was denied the right to vote at either of the two precincts mentioned in the protest.


Update November 4th: Runoffs, protests, and recounts have dotted the local headlines today.

  • As we reported earlier, Myrtle Beach election appeared to go smoothly until it came to light from a candidate that some of the votes were encumbered by closed polling places.

First Report: Tuesday was voting day in Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach and Atlantic Beach and we've scoured the local media feeds to bring you a list of the best stories pertaining to yesterday's election. 

Myrtle Beach:

As you have probably heard by now all of the incumbents, Michael Chestnut, Susan Grissom Means and Philip Render will keep their seats on the Myrtle Beach City Council.

Chestnut received 1,657 votes, both Render and Grissom received 1,561. First time Council seat runner David Bodle received the most votes of all the non-incumbents

For all the details hit up the article called, Election 2011 | Myrtle Beach incumbents retain their seats from The Sun News.

North Myrtle Beach:

North Myrtle saw the election of two new members for their City Council. J.O. Baldwin will retain his Crescent Beach seat with 1614 votes. Hank Thomas winner of the At Large Seat took it with 1686 votes. However there is some drama in the NMB with the Cherry Grove seat being too close to call, Fred Coyne received 1,320 votes, Doris Williams received 1,148 and William Ambrose Jr. received 194 -for a candidate to win the seat there must be an outright win with 1,334 votes. 

The election committee is holding a meeting to determine the winner as I type.

Read the full write-up on the North Myrtle Beach race over at The Sun News.

Atlantic Beach:

For the past few years Atlantic Beach has been a hot bed with electoral drama and this year's election is no different. For now it appears that there is a new mayor in Atlantic Beach, according to The Sun News, Jake Evans has won the Mayoral race with 49 votes while the incumbent, Retha Pierce only saw 13 voters support her. There are up to 50 votes being contested and not counted yet and the future of those votes won't be decided until Thursday.

The Town Council race seems to have been mellow this time around.  

Checkout WMBF's video with all the AB drama and hop on over to The Sun News for their full write-up

Loris Hospital Referendum: 

The referendum to merge the Loris Healthcare System and McLeod Health passed. The Sun News reports that, "47 precincts and absentee ballots counted, 85 percent of voters cast ballots supporting the referendum, while less than 15 percent voted “no.” Read their full story right here